At 14:15 of the third, a burst of speed from Cole Smith carved through Colorado’s defense, sending a puck waltzing past Dustin Wolf. That one shot ended a tight 2‑1 game and, for the Knights, a 4‑0 sweep they’d chased all season. The crowd erupted, hands flew, and a quiet determination fell over the arena. Game four was no longer a contest; it was an exit.
Vegas had matched up against the Avalanche in the West’s heavyweights, but the Knights had the edge. From the first win to this final blast, the series never felt like a fluke. Fans saw the Golden Knights lock up a record‑setting regular season and turn that momentum into playoff fire. The fourth and final game had the feel of a contract signed – no overruns, no “what ifs.” Meanwhile, Colorado’s scramble was recent‑memory‑only: a five‑goal surge that never caught fire.
Truth is, the Avalanche’s offence thumped on but collapsed when the clock ticked. Fletcher and Heikkinen gave a look of defense against the final run, but the Knights’ left‑wing star, Jonathan Marchessault, had already seeded the demand for chance. In the last minutes, Jody T
